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Platform(s) available for: 3DS, Wii U
Version reviewed: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS)Genre: 3rd - person action/rpg
Time to finish: Not Applicable
Trailer link: Click Here
Ah Monster Hunter... easily one of my favorite video game series in recent times. Gamers can be divided into three groups: those that "get it", those that don't, and those that have never tried it. It's highly unlikely that I will be able to change the minds of those that don't like the series (I will address some of their complaints though). Similarly, any hardcore fan isn't going to be relying on reviews to decide whether to buy it or not. So, this review will be aimed at those who are interested in the series but have yet to give it a try.
For the completely uninitiated, the Monster Hunter series tasks you as a new hunter, with protecting your village and fighting increasingly large and dangerous monsters. The newest release in the series, and the one I will be talking about is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The game was first released in Japan on Dec 10, 2011, as Monster Hunter 3G, an expanded 3DS port of the Wii's Monster Hunter Tri. This updated and expanded port brings a whole host of new weapons, armor, a new town, and tons of new quests and monsters to fight. Both the 3DS and the Wii U version also sport updated graphics over the Wii version. Given that this review is for the 3DS version and not the Wii U version, I will not be discussing any of the differences between the two. Rest assured though, they are both functionally identical, so don't hesitate to pick up whichever version suits your preferences. The Wii U version does however have the ability play cross-platform with 3DS players, so let this be proof of their similarity.
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| The underwater fights from Tri are back! |
With that out of the way, let me segue back into discussing the gameplay. Monster Hunter uses two basic stats that govern your survival, health and stamina. The first is pretty self explanatory. The second stat however, is used for every move you make in the game. From sword swings to rolling, running, and blocking, every move drains your stamina. If at any time you are not doing any stamina-draining actions, your stamina will slowly refill on its own. Naturally, wielding heavier weapons drains more stamina, and lighter ones drain less. Battles against the game's faster monsters can often come down to a battle against the stamina meter. The game also allows you to consume a variety of items that affect not only your stamina regen rate, but also the length of the stamina bar. Without going into too much detail, there are hundreds of items to collect in-game, and which ones you choose to bring with you on a quest can often dictate whether you survive or not. There is a great deal of planning that goes into a successful hunt. Some people can find this to be rewarding, others can find it to be tedious. There is also a great deal of grinding in the game, from gathering consumables, to collecting parts to make that sweet new armor set. This is likely the largest deciding factor as to whether one will enjoy the game or not. If this sounds like a hassle, then Monster Hunter might not be your cup of tea.
Let me talk a bit more about the battle system. All the battles in the game are in real-time. Although I have have this listed as an RPG, it's more of an RPG-lite. Your character has the usual RPG stats, but there is no leveling. All your stats are decided based on what armor and weapons you have equipped. The games armor and weapons are also split into two categories: ranged and melee. Or as the game refers to them, blademaster and gunner. You cannot use a melee weapon while wearing ranged armor, and vice versa. There's twelve weapon categories in this latest installment of the series, and while I won't list them all, rest assured there is a weapon type for all styles of play.
Now as for the other complaint I see leveled against the series all the time, combat speed. By far the most common complaint I hear about the gameplay, is that it feels unresponsive. I have to say that if you feel that way, then I'm sorry, but millions of players like the game exactly as is, so maybe it's just not your type of game. The "unresponsiveness" that these people are likely referring to, is in how a lot of the weapons handle. When you swing a large hammer for example, you commit yourself to that action, meaning their is no way to cancel your swing. Herein lies the divide that turns off many players. The reason I don't feel that it's a flaw, is because it requires you to actually PLAN your actions instead of swinging your sword willy-nilly and hoping that the monster dies in the chaos. If you play it like that you will be guaranteed a pitiful death. Once again if this style of gameplay sounds painful, then this series is likely not for you. For those that put in the time to master the combat will experience a depth of gameplay that few games have to offer. This is not a series that's friendly to newcomers, I'd recommend a guide and a lot of patience when starting out, because it can take a lot of time to get a feel for things.
As Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is merely an expanded port of Monster Hunter Tri, I'd like to talk a bit more about what has been added in this expansion. The biggest new addition would be the new G-rank quests. In the previous game, there were two ranks of quests, low-rank and high-rank. This new tier sits comfortably above those two and represents the hardest quests and monsters in the series. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate also adds plenty of new monsters, including one from the series past as well as the Japan-exclusive Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. These additions are great, because the Wii version was seriously lacking in monster variety. The last relevant addition is in the form new weapon types. While they aren't exactly "new", the Wii version was lacking quite a few of the classic weapons, so it's good to see them all back.
Now that I've covered all the ins-and-outs of the series, let me breakdown exactly how this game hold's up under scrutiny.
Absolute perfection. That's all I can really say about the gameplay. While past releases in the series have had a tricky to control camera, the addition of a camera lock-on button really fixes the problem nicely while still allowing free camera movement. Another past issues has been touchy hit-boxes on monsters. Nothing says cheap like getting slapped around by a monster that isn't visibly contacting you. Thankfully this issue has been fixed. While some may not enjoy the game's combat style, taken for what it is, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate hits all the right points.
The Monster Hunter series has always been home to some awesome tunes. Many of the monsters have their own theme, and all of the fit the mood perfectly. The reuse of the classic monster hunter theme always gets me pumped for battle. And really now, who can say no to this?
The sound here gets the job done and that's about it. The monster roars are good and fit each monster well enough, but sound effects for everything else feel a bit repetitious, especially for those that have been with the series for a while. Thankfully the wonderful boss themes make this largely a non-issue.
Realistically speaking, it's hard to claim that a game titled "Monster Hunter" boasts a unique art style, and frankly, it doesn't. What it does deliver though, is a metric ton of exotic armor and weapons. Collecting armor and weapons has always been the series' main hook, and the trend continues here with hundreds of different armor sets to craft. The developers even went as far as to create slight variances between the male and female versions of every set. That's impressive considering the enormous number of armor sets in the game. It would have been nice to see the series art taken in a new direction, but there is definitely enough variety here to keep things from getting boring.
If you've read through my info blurb at the top then you're probably wondering why I have "Time to finish" listed as "not applicable". Well suffice it to say, you will probably never "finish" Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The Monster Hunter series is about as open ended as it gets. Between a ridiculous number of quests to complete, and the mountains of weapons and armor to collect, you can play this game practically forever. I'm not exaggerating either. It's not unheard of for someone to sink 300+ hours into a Monster Hunter game, and MH3U is no exception. You'll likely stop playing long before you've done everything that there is to do in the game, it's just that expansive. Even if you just try to power through the game, doing only the required quests, I can't imagine spending less than 60-80 hours on this game. Taking all this in to account, MH3U easily earns its ten in this category.
While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate isn't a major reinvention of the series, it really doesn't need to be. The gameplay is just as solid as its ever been, and with the dual-platform release of the game, there has never been a better time for newcomers to jump into the series. Capcom has really cast a wide net with this one, and more new players can only be a good thing. After all, more players just means more hunting companions! So, grab a friend and a sword and join the hunt!
Let me talk a bit more about the battle system. All the battles in the game are in real-time. Although I have have this listed as an RPG, it's more of an RPG-lite. Your character has the usual RPG stats, but there is no leveling. All your stats are decided based on what armor and weapons you have equipped. The games armor and weapons are also split into two categories: ranged and melee. Or as the game refers to them, blademaster and gunner. You cannot use a melee weapon while wearing ranged armor, and vice versa. There's twelve weapon categories in this latest installment of the series, and while I won't list them all, rest assured there is a weapon type for all styles of play.
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| Four on one? They're probably still doomed! |
Now as for the other complaint I see leveled against the series all the time, combat speed. By far the most common complaint I hear about the gameplay, is that it feels unresponsive. I have to say that if you feel that way, then I'm sorry, but millions of players like the game exactly as is, so maybe it's just not your type of game. The "unresponsiveness" that these people are likely referring to, is in how a lot of the weapons handle. When you swing a large hammer for example, you commit yourself to that action, meaning their is no way to cancel your swing. Herein lies the divide that turns off many players. The reason I don't feel that it's a flaw, is because it requires you to actually PLAN your actions instead of swinging your sword willy-nilly and hoping that the monster dies in the chaos. If you play it like that you will be guaranteed a pitiful death. Once again if this style of gameplay sounds painful, then this series is likely not for you. For those that put in the time to master the combat will experience a depth of gameplay that few games have to offer. This is not a series that's friendly to newcomers, I'd recommend a guide and a lot of patience when starting out, because it can take a lot of time to get a feel for things.
As Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is merely an expanded port of Monster Hunter Tri, I'd like to talk a bit more about what has been added in this expansion. The biggest new addition would be the new G-rank quests. In the previous game, there were two ranks of quests, low-rank and high-rank. This new tier sits comfortably above those two and represents the hardest quests and monsters in the series. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate also adds plenty of new monsters, including one from the series past as well as the Japan-exclusive Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. These additions are great, because the Wii version was seriously lacking in monster variety. The last relevant addition is in the form new weapon types. While they aren't exactly "new", the Wii version was lacking quite a few of the classic weapons, so it's good to see them all back.
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| Monster Hunter is best played with friends. |
So far we've weighed a lot of the pros and cons of the series, but I've still neglected to mention a major facet of the game: multiplayer. Multiplayer is the icing on the lovely cake that is Monster Hunter. While fighting monsters repeatedly can get a bit boring in solo play, it never gets old in multiplayer. The game supports play with up to four players, which is an absolute blast. As I mentioned, the game also supports cross-platform play with the console version which should make it much easier to gather your hunting party. Monster Hunter's incredible success in Japan can likely be attributed to the joys of multiplayer, especially considering the high population density of Japan. If you can, get a friend to start playing with you. Learning to play the game alongside a friend is one of best co-op experiences you can have in gaming, plus, the shear depth of the game means that you'll never run out of things to do.
Gameplay - 10
Absolute perfection. That's all I can really say about the gameplay. While past releases in the series have had a tricky to control camera, the addition of a camera lock-on button really fixes the problem nicely while still allowing free camera movement. Another past issues has been touchy hit-boxes on monsters. Nothing says cheap like getting slapped around by a monster that isn't visibly contacting you. Thankfully this issue has been fixed. While some may not enjoy the game's combat style, taken for what it is, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate hits all the right points.
Music - 9
Sound - 6
The sound here gets the job done and that's about it. The monster roars are good and fit each monster well enough, but sound effects for everything else feel a bit repetitious, especially for those that have been with the series for a while. Thankfully the wonderful boss themes make this largely a non-issue.
Graphics/art - 7
Realistically speaking, it's hard to claim that a game titled "Monster Hunter" boasts a unique art style, and frankly, it doesn't. What it does deliver though, is a metric ton of exotic armor and weapons. Collecting armor and weapons has always been the series' main hook, and the trend continues here with hundreds of different armor sets to craft. The developers even went as far as to create slight variances between the male and female versions of every set. That's impressive considering the enormous number of armor sets in the game. It would have been nice to see the series art taken in a new direction, but there is definitely enough variety here to keep things from getting boring.
Replay value/length - 10
If you've read through my info blurb at the top then you're probably wondering why I have "Time to finish" listed as "not applicable". Well suffice it to say, you will probably never "finish" Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The Monster Hunter series is about as open ended as it gets. Between a ridiculous number of quests to complete, and the mountains of weapons and armor to collect, you can play this game practically forever. I'm not exaggerating either. It's not unheard of for someone to sink 300+ hours into a Monster Hunter game, and MH3U is no exception. You'll likely stop playing long before you've done everything that there is to do in the game, it's just that expansive. Even if you just try to power through the game, doing only the required quests, I can't imagine spending less than 60-80 hours on this game. Taking all this in to account, MH3U easily earns its ten in this category.
Final score - 9.2
While Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate isn't a major reinvention of the series, it really doesn't need to be. The gameplay is just as solid as its ever been, and with the dual-platform release of the game, there has never been a better time for newcomers to jump into the series. Capcom has really cast a wide net with this one, and more new players can only be a good thing. After all, more players just means more hunting companions! So, grab a friend and a sword and join the hunt!
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